Ace Hayden - Perspective

"Ace is a mellow 25 year old freerider from Kamloops, BC, who started riding mountain bikes hard at 15 after being inspired by the exploits of Kamloops locals Brett Tippie, Matt Hunter and Graham Agassiz and later by sending it at various Fest Series events along side riders like Andreu Lacondeguy. He has worked at a skateboard shop and construction in the north close to Alaska in the winters to be able to ride bikes in the summers and is a fast, loose, trail rider/freerider who can go big, too! His future plans include riding his YT as much as possible, working on being a well rounded rider, racing a few EWS events for fun, and dreams of one day competing at Rampage. Sounds great...roll the dice, because Ace's are wild! "

(Brett Tippie about Ace Hayden)

Hey Ace. You got a new edit released? What is it about?

The new edit is just a little about myself at home and kind of my daily routine. I’m lucky enough to be able to ride every day at home and even through the winter, which is a pretty rad thing to be able to do seeing as I grew up on a snow belt in Ontario!

Who or what inspired you to make that edit?

I’ve always wanted to do just a chill edit that showed what normal days are like at home and that touches on myself as well rather than just a super produced edit of riding. I’ve always been a huge fan of the “this is home” series and the “beyond the bike” so maybe those had a little inspiration as well.

What makes it different to other edits?

I think it’s different than most edits I’ve done. Most videos have been just riding or something funny. This is kind of just about me on and off the bike which is new for sure.

Where was it taken? Tell us a bit about that area and the riding over there?

It was filmed around Vancouver and Whistler. The riding around Vancouver is a little tighter, steeper and more technical than a lot of places. But there is for sure some areas to open it up. It’s been a change living here compared to the riding in Kamloops. It’s also pretty sweet to get to ride the trails in so many different conditions throughout the year and I think it rounds out your riding a lot.

Are you afraid of injuries?

I try not to be afraid of injuries because I feel like when you’re afraid and not confident that’s when you make mistakes and crash. But with that being said I’m also not naïve in the sense where I don’t think of things. Anything spinal or neuro is definitely what I’d be afraid of. I’m more afraid of seeing other people having big crashes and the process afterwards if there’s a big injury. Had a crazy one with Sorge last summer and seen some bad ones over the years.

What are your plans for the rest of 2017 and 2018?

I’ve been building a lot and will continue to build a bunch for more filming projects this fall. I’m really going to try to pump out some more edits this year with some ideas in them I’ve been brewin’ up for a while. In 2018, I’d like to fit in as much as possible. From Fests, multiple Crankworx stops, EWS races, coaching and as much shooting as possible!

There were rumors you like to join the race business… Is it true?

Haha they may be… I raced downhill when I was younger but got over it pretty quickly. I was always stoked to just go find sweet stuff to send off on my DH bike rather than pump laps and ride like a robot and be stressed at a young age. Whereas now its almost just a personal goal to be able to do well in some EWS stops mixed in the year after having some big injuries and have being told I probably won’t be riding much longer or if at all. It also allows you to meet new people and go ride in places around the world you probably wouldn’t have ever gone to otherwise, which is a huge attraction to it for me, too. Living in Vancouver now also, there isn’t much of a shuttling scene, or a freeride scene I’m used to having grown up in Kamloops. So, I’m on my trail bike a lot these days and never having one growing up I’ve been hooked lately and having a ton of fun. It’s also pretty fun to see how capable they are, and they are pretttty damn capable!

Which bike are you riding most of the time?

In the spring, I was on my JEFFSY a lot this year, that thing is so fun! But lately I’ve been on my CAPRA the most and TUES the second most. I have to say; the Capra is the sickest all-around bike I’ve ever been on. I’m more and more impressed each day.

If I would come to CAN one day, which spots shall I visit/see as a mountain biker / nature lover?

British Columbia is a good start! The best spots are the ones you’re brought to, not the ones your told about. So, we’ll see when you get here.

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